Birth and Death Go Hand In Hand
by Mitsuko Maxwell
Summary: Argh...Scenes from the lives of Kagome and Inu Yasha, from their first child to their death. Please be kind and review! IYKa, chara. death


(M&M: Hrm... this took me awhile to figure out. I had the idea for the first part, but it felt unfinished. This is the final, and I hope I didn't screw up too much. Please review! This is my first time writing this kind of story. I seem to be better at writing one shots than actual fics...)  
  
Disclaimer: Yes, this IS Rumiko Takahashi. I'm trying a future Inu Yasha plot on you guys, in English. And I, Rumiko Takahashi, give full copyright and petting rights to the girl known as Mitsuko Maxwell. *man in business suit pops up, rips Rumiko mask off of Mitsuko* Ack! Pay no attention to the girl running away! *suit man tackles her* Fine! I don't own Inu Yasha, or anything but my original characters!  
  
(M&M: Read the story!!!)  
  
Birth and Death Go Hand-In-Hand  
  
The sun is shining brightly on the Inu gang. They are all sitting under the Go Shimboku tree; pregnant Kagome and Inu Yasha snuggled together, while Sango and Miroku nap. Shippou had wandered into the village, leaving the couples alone for once.  
  
"Inu Yasha?" Kagome asks, playing with one of Inu Yasha's claws.  
  
"Aa?" He murmurs, looking down at his mate.  
  
"Are you happy?"  
  
Inu Yasha looks down at Kagome. She smiles awkwardly up at him. "Of course. Naraku's dead, Kikyo's at peace, and my mate is due to bear my pup any day. What could be wrong?"  
  
"Just a question." She smiles again and snuggles closer, closing her eyes and preparing for a nap. Inu Yasha watches her until she sleeps, then follows her example.  
  
The sun begins its descent when Kagome suddenly wakes up. She squirms a little, and then tugs on a strand of Inu Yasha's hair. "Yasha?" She whispers.  
  
"Yeah?" He asks blearily, still half asleep.  
  
"My water broke."  
  
"That's nice." Inu Yasha's eyes flutter shut for a whole half a second until his brain registers what that meant. "HOLY SHIT!" He yells, effectively waking Sango and Miroku. "Wake up!! Wake up!! Kagome's water broke!! Holy shit!! We gotta get her to Kaede's!! Wake up!!!" He jumps up, lifting Kagome into his arms in the process. He pauses only to lightly kick Miroku in the head. "Get your sleepy asses to Kaede's!" He yells, and begins his slow and cautious walk to Kaede's. "Are you okay Kagome? Are you in pain?" He asks frantically, looking down at her calm face every few seconds.  
  
"I'm fine Inu Yasha! I can walk you know!" She huffs lightly, but relaxes into his hold.  
  
The small hut comes into view, and Kaede is seen standing in the doorway, looking across the horizon. The old lady smiles when she spots the couple, and moves aside to allow Inu Yasha to rush in. "I see that my calculations were correct. Kagome, are you feeling any labor pains yet?"  
  
Inu Yasha gently places Kagome on a clean mat in a room built especially for this occasion. "None yet Kaede-sama. Inu Yasha's just overreacting because my water broke."  
  
Inu Yasha scowls at the reclining Kagome. "I am /not/ overreacting. When my mate is having her first pup, I want to take some precautions." He sits down next to her, sword clutched protectively in his crossed arms.  
  
"Overrea-AAARGH!!!!" Kagome's face contorts in pain. "First labor pain." She says through clenched teeth.  
  
Inu Yasha looked worriedly over at Kaede. "Is something wrong?" He asks frantically, his eyes moving to Kagome's flushed face. "What's wrong!?" He yells.  
  
"All is well. You have no need to fear. These pain are normal for birthing women." Kaede shuffles out of the room, returning with a bundle of clean cloth. "Do the others know yet?" She asks Inu Yasha.  
  
"We're here!! We're here! Sorry, we were looking for Shippou! Is Kagome- chan okay?" Sango bursts into the room, looking worriedly around. She sighs when she notices Kagome on the floor. "Oh good! I feared I was too late. She hasn't gone into full labor yet." Sango positions herself on the opposite side of Inu Yasha, next to Kagome.  
  
"Where's the lech?" Inu Yasha asks, looking behind him.  
  
"Miroku's keeping Shippou entertained so that he doesn't come in here during the birth." Sango tells Inu Yasha. "Kaede, what should we do?" Sango turns around to talk with the old miko.  
  
"Get me hot water, my herbs, and Inu Yasha, we will need more cloth." They quickly disperse, and she turns to Kagome. "Are you in a comfortable position, dear?"  
  
Kagome nods, and grits her teeth. "I think I'm ready." Kagome's face is becoming red with her breathing, and she reflexively clenches her fist into the material. She screams when another jolt of pain rips through her. Inu Yasha rushes into the room, almost instantly at Kagome's side, Sango following closely.  
  
Kaede nods, and prepares herself. "It is time Inu Yasha and Sango. Inu Yasha, hold Kagome's hand and try to get her to concentrate on something. Sango, come over here and help me; I'm getting too old to deliver youkai babies." Everyone shuffles into place, Kagome screaming every few minutes.  
  
"Kagome! Concentrate on my face!" Inu Yasha yells over her screams, gently squeezing Kagome's hand. Suddenly, Kagome turns her angry face to Inu Yasha.  
  
"You bastard! YOU did this to me! Fuck you and your fucking penis!! I'm never letting you touch me again!" She squeezes on Inu Yasha's hand, almost making him gasp. "Get this thing outta me!!!" She yells at Sango, who looks frantically at Kaede.  
  
"What's wrong with Kagome?" Inu Yasha asks Kaede.  
  
She shrugs her old shoulders. "Many women often lash out at their men during a pregnancy. She does not know what she is saying; the pain clouds her judgment. Think nothing of it, and let her hold your hand."  
  
"You pig lover!! You dirty stinking bastard!! I should have never spent that night in the shack with you, no matter how fucking cold I was! Fuck! You fucking shit eater!!! AAAAA!!!" Kagome suddenly tenses, her face turning a brilliant red.  
  
"I see something!" Sango calls out. "Kagome, push harder!"  
  
"I AM!!" She screams, pushing with all of her might. She is squeezing Inu Yasha's hand with both of hers, and Inu Yasha is almost positive that he heard a bone crack.  
  
"Push!! Push!! Push!!" Sango yells out, Kagome trying her damndest to obey. "Push!!!" With one final shove, the body is released, and a high scream fills the room. Sango smiles and holds up the squirming mass of blood and silver hair. "It's a boy!" She says, beaming proudly at Kagome and Inu Yasha.  
  
"Did you hear that Kagome? We have a baby boy! He's going to grow up stronger than me! Kagome, you're a mom!" Inu Yasha whispers into Kagome's ear, still holding onto her hand. Kagome's eyes are closed, but a smile is on her tired face.  
  
Sango directs Inu Yasha as to where to cut the umbilical cord, and Kaede washes the baby in herbal water, then wraps the baby in clean cloth. "He is a healthy son." She says, placing him in his mother's arms.  
  
Kagome looks down at the tiny baby in her arms. "Hi there, baby! I'm your mommy! This is your daddy, Inu Yasha. We love you very much." She coos and studies the tiny finger that cling to hers. She looks up at Inu Yasha, eyes shining with love. "Inu Yasha, you're a daddy."  
  
Inu Yasha looks scared for a moment. "Me?" He whispers. Kagome nods, and holds his son out to him. "What if I hurt him?" He asks softly, looking down at his claws.  
  
"You've never once hurt me, have you?" Kagome asks gently.  
  
Inu Yasha shakes his head, and slowly lifts his head up. Kagome positions the baby properly, and Inu Yasha holds him like he is made of the most fragile spun glass. "I'm a father." He says, almost half to himself. "This is my pup." He looks nervously down at Kagome again, who simply nods and smiles encouragingly. He gently examines one of his fingers, little nails growing. "He's so small." He takes notice of the full head of silver hair on his baby, and is amazed at the tiny eyes, which are closed at the moment, and the miniature mouth. He gently rubs the snowy white ears on the top of his head, laughing when the baby twitches them back and forth. He lifts the lips gently and smiles at Kagome. "Kagome, he's got fangs! Little puppy ears too!" Inu Yasha laughs heartily. "I knew it! Youkai blood can only be weakened to half! Kagome, our son is a hanyou!" Inu Yasha laughs again, and slowly walks around the room, Kagome watching them all the time. He is startled when he hears Sango's voice calling his name. "Huh?"  
  
Sango smiles gently at him and repeates her statement. "I said: Kagome needs her rest. Can you take the baby into the front room, so that Shippou can calm down? He and Miroku are curious about how much you look alike." She gently pushes Inu Yasha into the front room, where Miroku is calmly sitting in a lotus pose. He opens his eyes when he hears them approaching and stands up to greet them.  
  
"He looks almost exactly like you Inu Yasha!" He exclaims, gently lifting one tiny pink finger. "How is Kagome-sama doing? Well I hope?" Miroku tries to peek over Inu Yasha's shoulders toward the back room, but stops when he realizes Inu Yasha is blocking his path.  
  
"Kagome is resting." Inu Yasha says, most of his attention still on the new life in his arms.  
  
"What's his name Inu Yasha?" Shippou asks, standing on Inu Yasha's shoulder to see the sleeping child.  
  
"Kyuui no Rei." Inu Yasha says. "The peace of my soul."  
  
~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~  
  
A ray of light hitting her eyelids wakes Kagome up. She turns on her side, expecting to feel Inu Yasha wrap his arms around her, but frowns when that side of the bed feels cold. She groans and allows her eyes to flutter open.  
  
The sight before her is familiar. She had moved into the house Inu Yasha had built them on her twentieth birthday. The house looked like all the other houses in the Warring States period: shoji doors, wooden floors and roof. She had decorated the floors with rugs, some from her time and some from this time. The room she was currently in, the only room with a bed, had a skin placed before their own fire hearth. Looking out the window, Kagome can tell that it is late morning.  
  
"Where's Inu Yasha?" She asks herself, grabbing a robe and wrapping it around herself. She hears a noise coming from the main room and trudges in. The sight before her makes a warm smile appear, and she giggles.  
  
A ten-year-old Kyuui no Rei is sprawled on the floor, laughing and giggling. Inu Yasha and their eight-year-old daughter, Mikitsu, are tickling him and laughing along. Breakfast bowls seems to have been forgotten on the low table, and a bouquet of flowers waits to be put in a vase.  
  
Rei notices Kagome and smiles up at her. "Mom! Help me! Dad and Miki-chan ganged up on me while I was eating breakfast!" He squirms away from his father, who seems to have found his most ticklish spot.  
  
"Liar! You tickled me first! Daddy only joined when he got tickled too!" Mikitsu laughs, squeals and dodges Rei's hands, which were aiming for her stomach. She retaliates with a tickle to his neck.  
  
Kagome laughs and takes a look at her children. Rei looks much like his father: silver colored hair, and the same cute, fuzzy dog-ears on the crest of his head. His eyes are violet though, the color of Inu Yasha's eyes during a new moon. His skin is soft, his face still holding onto the little- boy charm. His fangs and claws are similar to Inu Yasha's as well. He is wearing an outfit of loose, baggy sky-blue pants, and a baggy white haori.  
  
Mikitsu looks like a combination of Kagome and human Inu Yasha. Her hair is midnight black, and reaches to her eight year old shoulders. Her eyes however, are golden, and her ears resemble a full youkai's more than a human's; her ears look slightly elongated, but no more than what a normal human's might be. She smiles, and her fangs are visible, tiny and childish looking. Her claws look much more delicate than Inu Yasha's and more closely resemble a human's, although they are just as sharp as her brother's. She is wearing a simple cream-colored kimono, with no designs.  
  
Kagome's eyes drift onto her husband's face. His features have not changed much over the years. His hair is longer, and shaggier, and his eyes are the golden pools of emotions Kagome still falls into. His face has lost much of the boyish cuteness, only to be replaced with a much gentler, well-defined tone. Around his neck the rosary is still in place, but Kagome had long ago deactivated the subduing spell. His face is lit by the smile he's wearing, and his eyes are gentle when looking at his children.  
  
Kagome is brought out of her observations of her family when Rei sneaks behind her and tickles her on the sides. She laughs and turns on him, scratching behind his ears. Rei is immediately frozen on the spot, laughing and enjoying the feeling. His eyes close, and a lazy smile appears on his face. Mikitsu laughs at the look, and his eyes snap open to glare at her. But by now, Inu Yasha, Kagome, and Mikitsu are laughing; and he is forced to laugh with them.  
  
After they laugh for a while, the family calms down somewhat. For about three minutes. Then Kagome jumps Inu Yasha, and the tickling doesn't end for a few more hours.  
  
~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~  
  
Kagome's eyes snap open and she sits up. The room is partially filled with the light of a full moon, and her eyes take their time to adjust. Finally, she can make out the familiar shape of Inu Yasha sleeping next to her. She sighs and lifts her hand to move through his hair. He stirs, and his eyes snap open, immediately taking in his surroundings. Kagome pauses, accustomed to his waking habits, and waits until he recognizes her. He does, and sits up, pulling her close to his chest, until she is sitting in his lap. "What woke you up?" He whispers into her ear.  
  
Kagome leans into his embrace and snuggles. "I don't know. I just woke up. It could be anything." She focuses inside herself, her body tensing, and her eyes becoming unclear. "It was just a passing youkai, near the edge of the forest." She relaxes again, and lies down. She feels Inu Yasha nod, and he lies down as well, Kagome still in his embrace.  
  
After a few minutes of listening to each other's breathing, Inu Yasha says, "Thank you Kagome."  
  
Kagome turns in his arms until they are facing each other, a questioning look on her face. "What for Inu Yasha?"  
  
Inu Yasha looks into her eyes, noticing the almost invisible wrinkles forming at the corners of her mouth and eyes. "For being here. For bearing my children. For putting up with all my shit for twenty-five years."  
  
Kagome thinks for a few moments. "Yeah, I /do/ have to deal with a /lot/ of your shit, huh?" She laughs lightly and kisses the tip of Inu Yasha's nose. "But I'm proud of every second of these twenty-five years I've spent with you. I love you." She snuggles into the crook of his neck, and closes her eyes.  
  
Inu Yasha strokes her head softly while he thinks. When she falls asleep, he kisses the top of her head, and gently moves her off of him. He stands up, and moves towards the adjoining rooms. He pauses behind the shoji door, and listens for the reassuring breaths. Once satisfied, e moves back into his bed, and slips in with Kagome. She mumbles and moves towards him in her sleep. He holds her tightly, and falls asleep.  
  
~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~^_^~~  
  
A tall, slender woman with midnight black hair falling to her lower back freely, stares at an old and impressive tree. She is dressed in an elegant, somber colored kimono, the sleeves hiding her sharp nails no human would have. She touches one quivering finger to the trunk gently, and a tear falls from one golden eye. She steps back quickly, and stands next to an older man with moonlight hair.  
  
He is tall as well, and under his impressive and expensive-looking business suit, his body is lean, and strong. His eyes are a deep violet color, and his face is expressionless. His silver hair reaches his knees, and is done in a long, simple braid. He walks up to the tree, and his fists clench and unclench. His hand is shaking with held back energy when he touches the tree bark, and he must restrain himself from grabbing at the rough skin of the tree. His palm flattens to the bark, and he leans on that hand for a brief moment. When he steps back, his whole body seems to have been lightened.  
  
The man and woman stand shoulder to shoulder and stare at the tree for some time. They do not move until the sun begins to set. The woman moves forward, and places a branch of a blossoming cherry tree at the base. She returns to her brother, a small smile on her beautiful features. "She always said that she loved cherry blossoms."  
  
Kyuui no Rei nods. He steps forward, and places a branch from a plum tree next to the cherry blossoms. "He told me that Mom described him like a plum once. Sweet and sour all in one package." He looks back at his sister from his crouching position at the base of the Go-Shimboku. "Mikitsu? Do you think they planned on dieing on the same day?" He gets up, and begins the walk down the temple steps, his sister leaning on his arm for support.  
  
She doesn't answer until they are near the bottom. "I don't think they planned it. But I think they wanted to. Maybe they thought they couldn't bear the thought of the other one suffering because of them." Mikitsu and Rei reach their car, and Rei slides into the driver seat. They drive in silence for a few minutes, each thinking their separate thoughts.  
  
"The one thing we can be sure of Miki-chan, is that both of them are happy."  
  
"Yes. We know both of them are happy."  
  
They keep their heads straight, and watch the horizon, the sun setting in brilliant hues of scarlet, and orange.  
  
~!@#$%^&*)_+(  
  
M&M: Was that too depressing? I don't think so. I thought it was sweet.  
  
IY: You think almost everything is sweet when it comes to me.  
  
M&M: Yeah huh? Well, not /everything/, just a lot.  
  
IY: No, everything. You thought that one fic where I almost rape Kagome is sweet.  
  
M&M: But you did it so you could protect her! And you stopped!  
  
IY: After she sat me and ran away!  
  
M&M: Oh, hush! You got her in the end, didn't you?  
  
Kagome: Yes he did! More than once!  
  
IY: Kagome! Don't tell her that kind of stuff!  
  
Kagome: Why not? She'll read it somewhere anyways!  
  
M&M: Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!! Review please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


End file.
